Maryland closes non-conference play as it brings in the new year Tuesday afternoon against NC Central at 2:30 pm in Comcast Center. This is the first meeting in history between the teams, and Maryland holds a 39-2 record against current MEAC schools.

Watch: ESPN3 – Mike Corey (Play-by-Play), Glenn Consor (Analyst)

Storylines

• Sophomore guard Seth Allen starred in his season debut against Tulsa, scoring 15 points in 21 minutes of action. Allen missed the first 12 games of the season after fracturing his left foot in practice on Oct. 29.

• Sunday was a milestone night for Dez Wells, who surpassed the 1,000-point mark with his fourth point of the game against Tulsa. Wells has scored 702 points at Maryland since transferring from Xavier after his freshman season.

• The victory against Tulsa marked head coach Mark Turgeon’s 300th career win. Currently in the midst of his 16th season, Turgeon (300-192) is the eighth active ACC coach to reach the milestone.

• Dez Wells considers NC Central head coach LeVelle Moton a ‘father figure,’ as Moton was a mentor for Wells while growing up in Raleigh, N.C.

• Junior Jonathan Graham has played his way into the frontcourt rotation in recent games, and could be a viable starting option for the Terps Tuesday. The junior transfer is averaging 17.2 minutes over the last five games, tallying at least one block in every game. He had a season-high seven rebounds vs. Tulsa.

• The Terps are 6-0 when leading at the half and 8-0 when leading with 5:00 to play in the game.

Last Time Out
Dez Wells recorded 18 points and 10 rebounds and Seth Allen scored 15 points to help the Maryland men’s basketball team overcome an early double-digit deficit in an 85-74 victory over Tulsa Sunday night.
Allen came off the bench to provide Maryland (8-5) with a much-needed spark, playing in his first game since breaking his foot on October 29. Despite being sidelined for three months, the sophomore point guard played 21 minutes, had three of the Terps’ 10 assists and connected three times from beyond the arc.
The Terrapins took the lead for good when Jake Layman drilled a 3-pointer to make it 48-45 with 12:32 left. Nick Faust followed with a jumper from beyond the arc, and Maryland moved ahead 52-47.

Seth Allen Stars in Return
Sophomore Seth Allen fractured a bone in his left hand during practice on March 24 and missed the final two games of the 2012-13 season. His return was then pushed back eight more weeks after he broke his foot on Oct. 29.
Allen played beyond the expectations of many in his season debut against Tulsa Sunday when he poured in 15 points in 21 minutes (10 first, 11 second) of action. The guard was greeted to a large ovation from the Comcast crowd as he checked into the game at the 15:46 mark of the first half.
Trailing by as many as 15 points in the first half versus Tulsa, the Terps mounted a 14-2 run that was partially sparked by Allen. The shifty point guard scored his first field goal of the season on a quick layup through the hole, before delivering a 3-pointer 23 seconds later to send Maryland fans into a frenzy.

Milestones Abound
Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon earned his 300th career victory with the Terrapins’ 85-74 defeat of Tulsa Sunday. He joined Gary Williams and Lefty Driesell as the only coaches in Maryland history to have earned 300 victories during their careers.
Junior Dez Wells’ victory came much earlier in the Tulsa game, as he recorded his 1,000th career point just three minutes and 51 seconds in the game. Wells needed just four points to reach the plateau entering the game, and finished with 18. He currently has 702 points through 51 games at Maryland since transferring from Xavier after his freshman season.

Scouting NC Central
Despite boasting a strong 7-3 record, NC Central has lost two of its last three contests at IUPUI and Wichita State. The Eagles upset in-state foe NC State earlier this season in overtime, 82-72.
The Eagles rely heavily on Jeremy Ingram, who is averaging 24.6 points on the season. The senior turned in an incredible performance against Wichita State, posting a career-high 37 points in the defeat.
NC Central has shown strong defensive ability through its first 10 games, ranking 12th in the nation in 3-point FG defense (.275), 35th in scoring defense (63.5) and 41st in steals/g (8.0).

Raleigh Connections
Junior Dez Wells looks up to NC Central head coach LeVelle Moton, who served as a mentor and “father figure” for Wells as he grew up in Raleigh, N.C. Moton is arguably the greatest player in NC Central history, playing from 1992-96.